Alien Drums

There’s a group of people walking around out there that remains somewhat anonymous until someone else joins the group. They are people who have suffered through a bout of shingles. I’m now one of them.

If shingles comes into the conversation you will know them by their simple montra — the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. It’s seven days since my first symptoms and four days sense the doctor’s diagnosis. It’s bad, really bad; but I’m not sure it’s the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. Maybe I got to it quickly.

For the non-initiated I will simply say this — it’s like your skin is on fire. I lay in bed and felt my skin boiling into blisters. The aftermath are dark wounds pocking my forhead and the region around my right eye. No one can see the devastation I feel on my scalp but that is hidden from view by my hair. Fortunately, it’s all on the right side. I can scratch my left scalp and enjoy vicariously what I would like to do to the right.

Enough details. For anyone who cares, that’s why I’ve been away.